Parrot Food

Learn to distinguish between safe parrot food and not so safe food for your pet parrot.

Giving your parrot the right parrot food can determine its health and longevity. Feeding your pet bird the wrong food can essentially be its death and the last thing you want is to have this on your conscience. Parrot food consist of many aspects and we will cover this right here.

To make planning your parrot diet easier we have divided the whole page into several sections, such as daily parrot food, 5 times/week parrot food, 3 times/week parrot food, occasional parrot food and treats.

Daily parrot food

Parrots shouldn't just have to live off seeds found in pet shops. In fact, feeding your parrot a seed only diet is dangerous because it will deprive him of essential vitamins and minerals. Your bird needs these to grow a healthy plumage and strong bones.

To keep your bird healthy, feed him with the following foods daily:

• Beans
• Seeds
• Legumes
• Vegetables

Many people ask us whether it is better to buy fresh, tinned or frozen vegetables for your parrot. Here is what we think. Due to the ways in which food gets stored these days (often long term, loosing vital nutrition in the process) we believe it is best to feed your parrot or pet bird a combination of fresh, frozen and cooked vegetables.

We don't particularly advocate tinned vegetables except of course tinned beans which they devour.

For your seed mixture choose one that has been fortified with vitamins and minerals and is adequate for your parrot species as not every parrot requires the same seed mixture.

5 times/week parrot food

Parrots love foods such as rice, pasta, bread and quinoa. Feel free to supplement your birds diet with these foods up to 5 times/week. Choose brown over white and make sure the rice and pasta are cooked not raw.

3 times/week parrot food

Since fresh fruit contains a lot of natural sugar you should only feed them to your parrot a few times per week. They love banana, apple (without seeds!), pear, pomegranate, mangoes, etc.

Forbidden parrot foods

Please read our section on forbidden parrot foods by visiting our African Grey training page. You could be saving your birds life!

Parrot treats

Parrot treats are just that. They are treats and should only be given to your bird on occasions. They include foods like nuts (high fat content), yoghurt (for calcium), and small pieces of cheese (high fat and lactose [can't digest])

Changing your parrots diet usually takes time if he comes to your home with a pre-trained appetite. Be patient and introduce new foods in small doses by hiding them underneath your parrots food. It works a treat and before long your pet parrot will love his new parrot food regime.